Automatic bundling and tying machine.



J. M. LEAVER, In.

AUTOMAHC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE,

APPLICATION HLED DEC. '9. \9l6.

1395,53 1. Patented Feb. 1919.

I6 SHEETSSHEET clzmarflleazzer Jr? lNVE TOR,

WITNESSES ATTORNEY J. M. LEAVER, JR.

AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 19, I9l6. Patented Feb. 20, 1919.

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AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC-19.19I6- I6 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION HLED DEC,19. 1916. I Patented Feb. 9

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ATTO R N EY J. M. LEAVER, JR.

AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYlNG MACHINE.

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AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-l9, I916- Patented Feb. 20, 1919.

16 SHEETSSHEET 6-- ATTORN EY W lTN ESSES Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19. 1916.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC.19.1915. P

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Patented Feb ,7, INVENTO WlTN :55 ES ATTORN EY LEAVEII In.

AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEOJQ, I9I6. I 1,295,531. Patented Feb.25,1919.

l6 SHEETS-SHEET 9- WITNESSES ATTO RN EY AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

J. M. LEAVER Patented Feb.25,1919.

' AHLICATION FILED DEC- i9, \9l6- 1,295,531.

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AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19.. WW.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

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ATTO R N EY l6 SHEETS-SHEET 12- ATTORN EY J. M. LEAVER, JR.

AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

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WITNESSES J. M. LEAVER, JR.

AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19. \9l5.

Patented Feb. 1919.

ATTORN EY J. M. LEAVER, JR.

AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I9. l9l6- Patented Feb. 1919.

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WITNESSES JIM. LEAVER, In.

AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND WING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1-9, 1916- Iufuntvd Mb. 2;), 191$).

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ATTORNEY WITNESSES L M. LEAVER, JR. AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TYING' MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-19.1916.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

16 SHEETSSHEET 16..

WITNESSES ilNliT AUTOMATIC BUNDLING AND TFING- MACHINE] To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES M. LnAvER, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have inventeda new and useful Automatic Bundling and lying Machine, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to an automatic bundling andtying machine.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of bundling machines, and to provide an efiicient and comparatively inexpensive machine, designed for bundling andtying cut lumber and vari ous other materials, and capable of automatic operation to form bundles of uniform size, to bind the bundles with wire and tie the ends of the wire without overtaxing the wire or distorting'the same or puttingundue tension on any part of the band or knot so that the terminal strain will be not greater in the knot than elsewhere on the wire, and there will be no liability of weakening, breaking or twisting off the wire. A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable mechanism for automatically engaging a predetermined number of pieces of material in a magazine,- removing them therefrom and presenting them in bundle form to the binding means, and binding the material under a constant pressure and knotting the wire while the material is under the desired pressure without slackening or loosening the bands, thereby insuring a compactand perfectly formed bundle when nonexpansible or inelastic material is handled. It is also the object of theinvention to enable the bundles to be tied with the desired number of bands the proper distance apart, and to bind and tie the bundles tightly without either drawing the wire over the material and injuring the same, or allowing any slack after the knot is tied, thereby making a firm,"co1npact and strong bundle. Furthermore, the invention is designed to rovide a machine in which no skill is requlred in tying the bundles and in which there will be no danger of breaking the wire by careless operatio of the machine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed December 19,1916. Serial No. 137,876.

novel combination ofparts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawingsz- Figure l is a side elevation of an automatic bundling and tying machine, constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrating the initial positions of the parts.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the opposite side of the machine, showing the material for forming bundles advanced from the lower end of the magazine and partially bound.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view, illustrating another position of the mechanism, the bundle advancing means being returned to its initial position, and the stack of material Within the magazine being supported in an elevated position.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the machine, parts being removed.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fi 7 is a horizontal sectional view on the hue 77 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 4..

Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7, showing the inner face of one of the main cam wheels.

Fig. 10 is a similar view, taken on the same line as Fig. 9 but looking in the opposite direction and showing the inner face of the other main cam wheel.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line 11l1 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a plan View of the swinging frame and the tensioning or take-up lever.

Figs. 13 to 16 are detail elevations of the mechanism carried by the head of the wire extension lever.

Fig. 17 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

Fig. 18 is a horizontal sectional view through the head end of the wire extension lever.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged detail view partly the wire coiling mechanism and the position of the parts prior to coiling the terminal of the horizontal wire around the vertical wire.

Fig. 20 is a similar view, illustrating the arrangement of the parts at the completion of the coil and prior to severing the wire and bending the' 'terminal portion of the vertical wire upwardly and securing the same between the band and the bundle.

Fig. 21 is a plan view of the wire coiling mechanism.

Fig. 22 is a vertical sectional view of the wire knotting mechanism, the section being taken on the line 22-22 of Fig. 19.

Fig. 23 is an enlarged detail elevation of the knotting mechanism.

Figs. 24 and 25 are detail views, showing different positions of the wire tying mechanism.

Fig. 26 is a detail perspective view of the wire coiler.

Fig. 27 is a detail view, showing the looped portion of the vertical wire and illushating the arrangement of the terminal portion of the horizontal wire before the same is coiled.

Fig. 28 is a detail view. illustrating the relative positions of the coiler and the horizontal wire and showing the bend made by the slight initial movement of the c'oiler to prevent the wire when severed from slipping.

Fig. 29 is a detail view, illustrating the position of the parts after the coiling of the horizontal wire and prior to the severing .and tying of the looped portion of the vertical wire.

F 1g. 30 1s a detall perspective new. showing the mechanism in the act. of severing the looped end of the vertical wire preparatory to tying the same.

Fig. 31 is a detail perspective view. illustrating the manner of tying the end of the vertical wire.

Fig. 32 is a detail perspective view of the outer portion of the band engaging finger.

Fig. 33 is a detailvertieal sectional view on the line 33-33 of Fig. 3, illustrating the manner of mounting the wire reel.

Fig. 34 is an enlarged side view, illustrating the construction of the tension device and the automatically operable brake.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The drawings disclose one embodiment of the invention. While the claims define the actual scope thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the main frame of the machine, which may be constructed of any suitable material. is provided at the base with front and rear transversely disposed I-beams 1, Figs. 1 to 6. which may be either mounted on blocks or sills, or equipped with heavy casters to render the machine portable. The front and rear transverse beams are connected at their ends by side longitudinal beams 2 and 3, and at a point between their ends by an intermediate longitudinal beam 1, see Figs. 4 and 5. The side and intermediate longitudinal beams, which preferably consist of I-beams, are seated upon the upper flanges of the bottom transverse beams and are bolted or otherwise secured to the same. The main frame is provided at a point intermediate of the ends of the side beam 3 and intermediate beam 4 with front vertical columns 5, see Fig. 2, andat the rear ends of said beams 3 and l with rear vertical columns 6, Figs. 1 to 4. The front and rear columns, which are bolted or otherwise secured at their lower ends to the upper flanges of the longitudinal beams 3 and 4, support spaced longitudinal beams 7, which are bolted or otherwise secured to the upper ends of the columns 5 and 6. The main frame is stifiened by an inclined transverse brace 8, see Figs. 1 and 4, secured at its lower end to the side longitudinal beam 2 and extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom to the upper longitudinal beam of the adjacent side of the frame and suitably secured at its upper end to the same. The main frame is also stifl'ened by upper and lower inclined longitudinal braces 9 and 10, see Fig. 1, arranged in substantially the same inclined plane. The lower inclined brace 9 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the front end of the intermediate longitudinal beam 4 and is secured to the adjacent front column 5 at a point intermediate of the ends thereof, and the upper brace 10 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the central portion of such front column to the underside of the adjacent top longitudinal beam 7 and its upper end is secured to the same near the center of the said beam 7 The'top longitudinal beam 7 is connected at points intermediate of its endsby top transversely disposed I- beams 11. bolted or otherwise secured to the longitudinal beam 7 and located at the front ends thereof and at a point adjacent to the rear ends of the same.

The main frame may, of course, be of any other preferred construction, and the bottom transverse beams 1 and the top transverse beams 11 constitute rails and form transverse tracks for slidably mounting a plurality of laterally adjustable upper and lower auxiliary frames or supports, which carry the mechanism for forming the bundles, placing the bands around the same and tying the ends of the bands. In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 4 and 5. two laterally adjustable sets of upper and lower auxiliary frames or supports are shown for lltli sides of the center, and these auxiliary frames are adjustable by means of upper and lower right and left hand threaded screws 12 and 13, which, when operated by the means hereinafter described, move the laterally adjustable frames simultaneously toward and from each other. The machine may be equipped with any number of sets of upper and lower auxiliary frames, but when three sets of such frames are employed, one set will be located at the center of the machine and the central set of auxiliary frames will be stationary, and the side sets of auxiliary frames or supports will be adjustable toward and from the central set of auxiliary frames or supports. The lower auxil iary frame of each set is provided at the bottom with spaced longitudinal channeled bars 14 and 15, see Figs. 3, 4 and 6 to 9, and at the top with a longitudinal channeled bar 15*, located above and in substantially the vertical plane of the lower channeled bar 14 and connected with the same at the ends of the lower auxiliary frame by front and rear upright bars 16 and with the ends of the other lower channeled bar 15 by inclined transverse braces 17 The lower channeled bars 14 and 15 are connected by transverse rods 18, arranged in pairs and secured to the channeled bars at the inner faces thereof by screws 19, piercing the webs of the channeled bars 14 and 15 and engaging threaded sockets in the ends of the transverse rods 18, but any other suitable means may, of course, be employed for connecting the channeled bars and for maintaining; the same in spaced relation.

The longitudinal bars 14 and 15 of the lower auxiliary frame are slidably connected at their front and rear portions with the lower face of the outer upper flange of the transverse beam by a set screw 23. mounted in a threaded opening 24 in the recessed projecting portion of the clamp 20. The front inner stop 25, which is spaced from and cooperates with the front clamp, consists of a strip secured to the front portions of the channeled bars 14 and 15 and extending across the space between the same, and the rear inner stops are preferably formed by spaced transversely alined bearing blocks 26, secured to the bottom flanges of the bars 14 and 15 at the rear portions thereof. When it is desired to adjust the lower auxiliary frame, the plates of the clamps are loosened by unscrewing the set screws and after the proper adjustment is effected the set screws are tightened to cause the steel plates to grip firmly the bottom transverse beams of the main frame.

Each upper adjustable auxiliary frame or support is preferably composed of spaced longitudinally disposed angle bars 27, Figs. 1 to 5', connected at their rear portions by transverse plates or bars 28, which are secured to the horizontal wings or flanges of the angle bars 27 by vertical rods or bolts 29, piercing horizontal wings or flanges of spaced angle bars 30, arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the rear portion of the upper auxiliary frame and forminghorizontal guideways. The horizontal wings or flanges of the angle bars 30 of the guideways are spaced apart by sleeves 31, and the lower angle bars of the guideways are supported by vertical tubes 32. The sleeves and the tubes are arranged on the vertical rods or bolts 29, and the tubes are supported upon the horizontal flanges of the side angle bars 27 of the upper auxiliary frame and are interposed between the same and the lower angle bars of the superimposed guideways, which extend longitudinally of the said upper auxiliary frame. The side bars of the upper auxiliary frame are also connected at their front ends by a transverse plate or bar 33 (see Fig. 5) having a central vertical needle bar guide 34 and provided with terminal flanges, which are bolted to the vertical wings or flanges of the side bars 27. The plate or bar 33 is preferably reinforced by a web or flange extending from the upper portion of the needle bar guide to theupturned upwardly extending terminal flanges, but the supporting portions of the needle bar guide may be constructed in any other desired manner.

The upper auxiliary frame is slidably supported by the upper'transverse main frame beams 11, fitting against the inner edge of the plateor bar 33 and against one of the transverse plates or bars 28 and engaged by adjustable clamps 35. The clamps 35, which are adjustably secured to the lower faces of the bottom flanges of the side bars 27 of the upper auxiliary frame by screws 36, have recessed engaging portions, which extend beneath the adjacent upper flanges of the transverse beams 11 of the main frame. When the screws 36 are tightened to engage the jaws with the upper transverse beams 11,

the upper auxiliary frame is firmly gripped thereon.

The machine is equipped at the front with a vertical magazine 37, adapted to receive a stack 38 of material, which may consist of pieces of cut lumber, or any other material of a similar character, adapted to be handled in bulk and tied in bundles. The magazine, which may be constructed in any desired manner, is illustrated in the drawings as consisting of outer fixed vertical bars 39 and inner adjustable vertical bars 40, adapted to be moved toward and from the outer fixed vertical bars to vary the size of the magazine. Each set of upper and lower auxiliary frames is equipped with a pair of these magazine-forming bars 39 and 40. The fixed outer vertical bar 39 is secured at its lower end to the front end of the upper channeled bar 15 of the lower auxiliary1 frame, and the inner adjustable bar 40, whie is arranged in the same longitudinal plane as the outer fixed bar 39, is provided at its end with a rearwardly extendin horizontal arm 41, which is adj ustably secured by bolts 42, or other suitable fastening devices to one of the angle bars 27 of the upper auxiliary frame (see Fig. 5). As shown in' Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the inner vertical magazine bars 40 are arranged at the limit of their rearward movement to provide a bundle of the maximum width, and they are adapted to be adjusted forwardly from such position to decrease the width of the bundle. The inner adjustable magazine forming bars 40 terminate at the side bars 27 of the upper auxiliary frames to form an opening 43 at the lower portion of the inner side of the magazine 37 to permit the lower portion of the stack 38 to be advanced or moved rearwardly from the magazine into a bundle receiving space or chamber 44. The upper longitudinal channeled bars 15 of the lower auxiliary frames constitute a support for the material; and the bundle, when formed by the feeding mechanism, about to be described, is moved along the channeled bars 15 to a point beyond the magazine to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawin The feeding or bundle forming mechanism, which feeds the material from the bottom of the stack, comprises in its con struction a lower longitudinally slidable horizontal bar 45, an inner vertical bundle engaging bar 46, a top horizontal stack supporting bar 47 and an outer vertical bar 48, extending upwardly from the outer end of the slidable bar 45 to the outer end of the top stack supporting bar 47. The lower horizontal bar 45., which constitutes a slide, operatesin the groove or channel of the top longitudinal bar 15, which forms a guide for the said bar 45. The vertical bars 46 and 48 are suitably secured at their upper ends to the stack supporting bar 47, and their lower portions are adj ustably connected to the slidable bar 45 by clamping plates 49, secured by bolts 50, or other suitable fastening devices to the bar 45 and adapted to clamp the bars 46 and 48 in vertical adjustment. By this construction, the effective length of the bundle forming bar 46 is varied to form a bundle of the desired height, and

upper end 0 the stack supporting bar 47 is raised and lowered to arrange it in proper position for supporting the stack left within the magazine during the feeding of the material in the formation of the bundle.

The inner or rear end of the slidable bottom bar of the feeding device is pivoted to the upper end of an inclined connecting link 51, Figs. 1 to 4, 8 and 9, extending downwardly and rearwardly from the slidable bar. 45 and ivoted at its lower end to the f a cam actuated lever 52. The cam actuated lever 52 is of angular form and when the feeding device is in its initial position, or at the limit of its outward or forward movement, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, the upper portion of the lever 52 is arranged at an inclination and extends downwardly and rearwardly over a main transverse shaft 53 to a point in rear of the same, and when the lever is in such position its lower portion, which is arranged at an obtuse angle to its upper portion, extends downwardly and forwardly to a transverse pivot 54 upon which the lever 52 is mounted. The pivot 54 is arranged in a suitable bearing bracket 55, secured to the channeled bar 14 at the lower web or flange thereof.. The transverse pivot 54 is located below and slightly in rear of the main transverse shaft 53, the angular shape of the lever 52 enabling the same to clear the shaft 53 in its backward and forward oscillation. The lever 52 is provided at its angle with a roller 56, Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 9 which is arranged in a cam groove 57 in the outer face of a cam disk or wheel 58, which, when rotated, oscillates the lever 52 to reciprocate the feeding device. At each revolution of the cam disk or wheel, the

feeding device is moved inwardly or rearwardly a sufficient distance to carry the material at the bottom of the stack from the magazine into the bundle receiving chamber, and is moved forwardly to return it to its initial position after the bundle has been bound and tied. The cam groove 57 con sists of similar opposite actuating portions to swing the lever 52, and an intermediate curved connecting portion arranged concentric with the pivot of the cam disk or wheel 58 for causing the lever 52 to dwell at the inner limit of its movement while the bundle is being bound and tied. The upper portion of the lever 52 is provided with a plurality of perforations 59, adapted to receive the rear pivot of the connecting link 51 to vary the length of the stroke of the feeding de vice, and while only two perforations 59 are shown in the drawings, any number may, of course, be employed.

In order to relieve the feeding device during its return movement from the weight of the stack, the latter is supported by a vertically movable stack supporting and charg- 

